Hastings Expo Sponsor Announced

With just under 2 months to the Hastings Expo 2017, the long established calendar fixture has just received a significant ‘boost’ after South East Business Boost confirmed they will be headline sponsors for this year’s event.

The EU, European Regional Development Funded business support programme, enables companies across East Sussex to benefit from new business support services and a grants programme under a £2m new scheme aimed at boosting the county’s economy.

South East Business Boost will offer grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 to existing small and medium sized businesses, as well as start-ups for capital projects to help them grow.

The scheme also sees an expansion of the existing highly successful, Business East Sussex support programme, which offers advice and support to local businesses and entrepreneurs, run through the East Sussex Growth Hub.
Cllr Rupert Simmons, East Sussex County Council lead member for economy, said: “It’s vital we ensure businesses in the county have all the support they need to grow and develop.

“The grants available through this scheme could be put towards a wide range of capital purchases, from improving commercial premises, to buying new machinery, plant, equipment or technology.

“This funding will also enable the expansion of the East Sussex Growth Hub, which has been providing invaluable support to businesses since 2015. This new funding will enable us to set up village hubs to help the many businesses and entrepreneurs in the rural parts of the county access business support more locally.

“South East Business Boost will do what its name suggests – provide an impetus to local businesses to help them develop and expand, creating new employment opportunities and driving economic growth.”

The scheme is a partnership between the seven members of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) and is being run in East Sussex by business support service Let’s Do Business Group, who also run the Growth Hub, Business East Sussex and the Locate East Sussex Programme.

Grants are available to companies with fewer than 250 staff and an annual turnover of less than €50 million – around £44 million – and for funding up to 30 per cent of the cost of capital projects.